http://www.american-education-services.com/degree/
What are the degree requirements to be a clinical psychologist or to open up an office to be a therapist?
What are the degree requirements to be a clinical psychologist or to open up an office to be a therapist?
If I wanted to open my own office and give people psychological counseling, what level of degree do I need or do I need a degree at all?
If I wanted to prescribe medicine, I would imagine that I need to get a whole separate degree as well…?
But what about working in a school or part of another organization?
In the United States, requirements vary from state to state, but in general, a practicing clinical psychologist requires a Ph.D., Psy.D., or Ed.D. These are all graduate degrees requiring internships and a dissertation and can take up to 5 years after a bachelor’s degree. Most states require psychologists to be licensed, usually involving an exam (cf. Bar exam or medical boards) and a requirement for continuing education. Anyone calling him/herself a psychologist without meeting these requirements can be taken to court, basically for impersonating. In most states, clinical social workers, marriage and family counselors, and counselors have similar requirements, although their practice degree is usually a master’s degree. Again, anyone using any of these titles without meeting requirements can be criminally liable.
There is, of course, another reason for the licensure and credentialing. Health insurance companies will only pay practitioners who meet their requirements, and it is very difficult to run a private practice without accepting insurance.
Traditionally, in the US, only physicians can prescribe medicines; therefore, only psychiatrists, who are medical doctors, can prescribe medicines. There is a movement to change this in some areas; I think California is moving toward allowing psychologists to prescribe psychotropic medications.
You can probably get some of the entry level, poorly paid jobs, like a child care worker in a group home or psychiatric aide in a mental hospital with only a high school diploma. People with bachelor’s degrees can be line staff in most child welfare agencies, in juvenile justice agencies, in nursing homes, sometimes in hospitals doing discharge planning, etc.
I hope this helps.
212 degrees – The Extra Degree